Falling Nations

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

  I couldn't move or do anything for that matter. All I could do was stare at the souls that have been burning down here, for only Hades knew how long. What did they do to deserve burning for eternity? I asked myself but then decided I really didn't want to know.

  I looked back up the hill and knew there was no way I was going to get back up that way. It was too steep. Of course, he had to use it to keep the souls in one area. He wouldn't want burning souls just running around freely. Who knew what that fire surrounding them could do.

  I really didn't want to find out, because there was the risk I could become on of them. A soul stick here burning forever. Would the other nations be able to find me? Probably not, especially considering no one else could currently come down here. Then the nations down here were probably counting on me to set them free.

But standing there at the bottom of the hill, I didn't know how I was supposed to do that. Heck, I didn't even know how I was supposed to get myself free and I wasn't even captured. I felt really hopeless in that moment. Not knowing what to do.

  Think Feli, think. I shouted to myself in my head. There had to be a way to get out of here. Nothing was ever perfectly planned. Maybe close to it but never flawless.

  I looked up at the hill. All hills met sea level at some point, didn't they? My eyes followed the wall until I noticed that it dropped at one part. There was just no wall on the one side. Why was that? I wondered.

  "Probably your way out." A voice said in my head. It was talking through the mirror, I knew it was. Luciano seemed to do that a lot ever since he talked to me when I went to the place between life and death. I never understood why he continued to help me, even if it wasn't in the nicest way.

  "You really think so?" I asked Luciano. I could feel it as he nodded. It's a weird thing to say considering he was in his universe and I was still in mine. But I swear I could feel it.

  "So get up off your ass and start heading over."  Luciano said. With that I managed to climb to my feet. It was the little bit of motivation that I needed.

  As I got up I ended up jumping back in a bit of shock. I hadn't realized it as I touched the flame that engulfed one of the nearest souls. But I hadn't felt it burn me. Or did I just I was too shocked from simply realizing I touched it?

  I couldn't help it as I slowly reached out my hand towards the flame. Looking at my hand, the flame spread around it, like it refused to touch it. I didn't feel warm or cold. Just the normal hear that it was down here.

  You're alive, I thought to myself. That's why the flame can't touch you. It can't touch the living since it's the flame that haunts the dead. I had to admit I was a bit fascinated by that.

  I soon pulled my hand away. I had a task that needed to be done. First get out of here then save the others. I still didn't know how I was going to do that, but I was going to try anyway.

  I started walking to where there was no wall. I stuck close to the current wall I was closest to. I really didn't want to go among the hoard of burning souls even if they couldn't burn me. It just didn't seem like a fun thing to do. I didn't want to see the pain written on their face that's been there for I don't know how long.

  "Ack!" I yelled in a panic as one of the souls came running towards me. I went to move away and my back hit the wall. The soul stopped and just stared at me.

  I was frozen once again. I knew that face. That face was imprinted in my brain. It was the first person I had ever killed, all because my country had had a bit of trouble with France when he tried to take over. I never thought something like this would come back to me. But clearly I was wrong.

  It screeched at me and I tried to back into the wall. But I couldn't. Even with how much I wished I could. The wall was just too solid.

It screeched again and more souls started to join it. They were all looking at me. And as I scanned over the faces I couldn't help but realize they were all people I killed. The ones I hadn't seemed to mind their own business as they burned.

  "I'm sorry." I whimpered. They all took a step forward and I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me to where there was no wall.

  When I neared it, I was quick to stop in my tracks. There was no actual escape like I had hoped. The black river was there stopping any souls that though this was a good way to escape. I started to feel hopeless again. How was I supposed to get out now?

  I glanced back, only to notice the souls of the ones I killed were coming towards me. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to deal with them. Sure the flame couldn't touch me but I didn't know if they could. I really didn't want to find out either.

  Gilbert told me this was the River Styx. I racked my brain for any stories that might help me. I hardly knew any Greek mythology. I mostly knew Roman. But they were a lot alike, Gilbert said they were. 

  Then one thing clicked in my mind. They one story that was told about the Styx. Achilles had been dipped into here by his mother when he was just a baby. If a mortal could survive jumping in here, I was sure I could do.

  I looked behind me once again, noticing how close the souls were. Only about twenty feet away. So I panicked and jumped into the black river. My mind focusing on my curl to be the thing that tied me to humanity like Achilles heel had done for him.